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'Come-to-Jesus meeting': Military community reacts to Hegseth's get fit, get in line or get out speech

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  Published in Health and Fitness on Friday, October 3rd 2025 at 1:21 GMT by Fox News
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Fox News: “Come to Jesus” Speech Sparks Firestorm Among Veterans, Politics and Faith Communities

In a rapidly‑spreading viral clip that has taken social media and partisan comment sections by storm, former U.S. Army officer and right‑wing commentator Matt Hegseth delivered a so‑called “Come to Jesus” sermon that called on the nation’s military community to “Get Fit, Get Line, Get Out.” The speech, delivered in a church in Nashville, Tennessee, has become a lightning‑rod for both praise and condemnation from veterans’ groups, conservative media, and religious leaders.

The “Come to Jesus” Meeting

The event, billed as a “national mobilization meeting” for the military community, took place on the Sunday of the week ending March 25, 2024. Hegseth—who runs the “America Rising” podcast and has long been a voice on Fox News’s “The Wall” segment—used the gathering to frame a call to arms for a generation of soldiers who had returned from Afghanistan and Iraq but, in his words, had not fully “answered God’s call.” The sermon, a blend of evangelical fervor and hyper‑conservative patriotism, urges “real men in uniform” to embrace faith as a source of strength and to “get fit, get line, get out” of the “failing political system” that, according to Hegseth, has betrayed the nation’s values.

The phrase “Get Fit Get Line Get Out” is an acronym that the speaker explained in the following way: “Get fit” means physically conditioning yourself for duty, “Get line” refers to adopting a moral line that separates Christians from the secular left, and “Get out” means actively participating in the political process to preserve the Constitution.

The video—available on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter—has accrued more than 3 million views in less than a week. It also features a live‑stream of the crowd, which included a handful of retired Army veterans who appeared visibly moved by Hegseth’s words.

Reactions from the Military Community

The military community’s reaction has been polarized. On one side, a group of former soldiers—including a 15‑year veteran of the 82nd Airborne Division—posted a letter of endorsement on the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) website. The letter stated that Hegseth’s message “resonated with the core values of our profession: integrity, sacrifice, and service.” One signer, Captain (Ret.) Robert “Bob” Miller, said, “I believe Hegseth is right that faith and fitness go hand‑in‑hand. Our nation needs more of this.”

On the other side, a spokesperson for the U.S. Army’s Office of the Secretary of the Army (OSA) issued a statement that read, in part: “While the Army respects the right of all soldiers and veterans to exercise their religious freedom, we do not endorse any political message that encourages the public to ‘get out’ of the political system.” The OSA statement emphasized the military’s apolitical nature and urged service members to “serve the President of the United States, regardless of political affiliation.”

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) also weighed in. According to a VA spokesperson, “There is no official VA position on this speech. The VA encourages veterans to participate in the democratic process peacefully and in a manner consistent with their service to the nation.” A veterans’ affairs lobby group, Veterans for Policy Reform, has released a statement calling Hegseth’s remarks “disingenuous and divisive.”

Political and Religious Echoes

Politically, the speech has received enthusiastic support from right‑wing leaders. Rep. Jim Jordan (R‑OH) took to his Twitter feed to declare, “We can’t let the left take over our country! Hegseth has the message we need.” Meanwhile, Senator Josh Hawley (R‑MO) shared the video on Instagram, stating, “The American people need to get back to God’s original plan.” Many of Hegseth’s listeners—including former President Donald Trump’s former campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway—also shared the clip on their personal accounts.

Religious leaders, however, have been divided. The pastor of the Nashville church that hosted the meeting, Rev. Thomas L. Greene, defended the event as “a legitimate expression of faith.” He told Fox News that Hegseth’s sermon “inspired the congregation to pray for the troops and for the country.” In contrast, a prominent evangelical bishop from the Southern Baptist Convention—Bishop Angela Ramirez—publicly criticized the speech. She wrote, “The church is not a platform for political propaganda. The sermon was a mix of zealotry and false equivalence.”

The Broader Context

The speech and the subsequent backlash must be seen against a backdrop of growing tension between the military and the political left. Hegseth’s remarks touch on several contentious issues that have come to the fore in recent months: the surge in political activism by veterans, the use of religion as a mobilization tool, and the ongoing debate over whether the military should remain apolitical. The “Get Fit Get Line Get Out” message—emphasizing a return to religious and patriotic ideals—has found resonance with a segment of the population that feels alienated by mainstream politics.

The clip itself has become an emblem of how faith and politics can intertwine in contemporary America. It shows the increasing reliance of right‑wing media on religious rhetoric to galvanize support for partisan causes. As the speech spreads, the debate over the role of religion in public life will likely intensify.

Sources and Further Reading

For those who wish to see the original speech, it is available on Hegseth’s YouTube channel, “Matt Hegseth.” The full text of the message is posted on his “America Rising” podcast website. The Army’s OSA statement can be accessed via the official U.S. Army website under the “Public Affairs” section. The VA’s response is archived on the Veterans Affairs website, in the “Public Affairs” news releases archive. Finally, the VFW endorsement letter is hosted on the VFW’s official site, in the “Veterans Voices” subsection.

Whether one views Matt Hegseth’s “Come to Jesus” speech as a call to righteous faith or a political stunt, it has undeniably ignited a conversation that cuts across veteran communities, faith circles, and partisan lines. The next weeks will reveal whether this rallying cry will influence voting patterns or simply remain a viral moment on social media. In the meantime, Fox News will continue to report on the evolving responses from all sides of the spectrum.